Chapter 26

Deep into the night, at midnight.

Outside the city of Luoyang, a group of over two hundred people moved silently and hurriedly, their pace quick and urgent.

All of them were dressed the same, wearing Fan Yang hats, eagle costumes, and black boots that reached their knees. There was no mistake; they were the Eagle Yang Guards, the Eagle Yang Guards who moved at night, the Eagle Yang Guards who were detested. Because there was a law-like principle: whenever the Eagle Yang Guards appeared at night, people were bound to die, though the number of deaths varied each time.

Wu Fan was also among this group, his eyes fixed on the tall figure at the front of the group, the newly appointed hundred-man commander of the West City, Zhong Xiu. The reason was simple: Wu Fan knew that the so-called news of the demonic disturbance was a lie! It was a matter orchestrated by Yu Xiang, with the sole purpose of eliminating Zhong Xiu, who posed a significant threat to Wu Fan.

After meeting with Yu Xiang, Wu Fan had stayed honestly at the hundred-man station and at home, not doing anything suspicious. So, how did Zhong Xiu learn about the demonic disturbance outside Luoyang? Thinking about this, Wu Fan couldn't help but feel a sense of alarm, as he had already thought of a possibility: there might be other spies and traitors controlled by the Maitreya Sect within the West City station or the entire Luoyang Eagle Yang Guard thousand-man station!

[Are there others? Who are they?]

Wu Fan's heart sank. He was not a short-sighted fool; he understood that organizations like the Maitreya Sect, which incited rebellion, could only be temporarily fierce and would ultimately not be a match for the state's violent machinery. They would eventually be destroyed. Wu Fan did not want to sink with the Maitreya Sect, so he had long decided to break away at the first opportunity. Thus, the other spies and traitors hidden within the Luoyang thousand-man station posed a significant threat to him!

"Stop!"

When he heard the command, Wu Fan looked up and realized they had already arrived at a dense forest outside Luoyang.

Zhong Xiu gestured for Wu Fan and Qian Rui to come over and instructed, "Commander Wu, you lead fifty men to flank from the left! Commander Qian, you lead fifty men to flank from the right! The rest, follow me!"

"Understood!"

Wu Fan and Qian Rui exchanged a glance and saluted in acknowledgment.

As he waved for his men to follow, Wu Fan's eyes remained fixed on Zhong Xiu, his heart pounding. There was no way around it; this new hundred-man commander was not the original Chen Yucui, who could be easily beheaded with a single stab. Zhong Xiu, who had unblocked all 365 acupoints in his body and reached the "Gathering Qi into the Sea" realm, was a formidable opponent. Killing him would be extremely difficult, and Wu Fan knew he couldn't do it himself!

The forest was silent, with only the sound of insects. As the group moved, even the insect sounds faded away.

"Rustle!"

A flock of birds perched in the treetops were startled, flapping their wings in panic and flying around chaotically.

"Who?"

"Don't run!"

Wu Fan's eyes darted around, and he shouted, dashing forward at great speed.

His sudden action left the Eagle Yang Guards standing there, looking at each other, unsure of what to do. Without Wu Fan's command, they eventually decided to form a formation and move forward slowly.

In reality, there was no one there. Wu Fan merely used this as an excuse to break away from the main group. He intended to personally and with his own hands eliminate Zhong Xiu. This was Yu Xiang's promise to him and his demand to her. The situation within the Eagle Yang Guard was now unpredictable, and Wu Fan had to be extremely cautious, or he would die without even knowing how.

On the other side...

After entering the forest, Zhong Xiu no longer looked like a drunkard. He became very alert, his face with a beard making him look like a lion leading his pride into battle. However, Zhong Xiu was an impatient man. Seeing no sign of the so-called demonic disturbance, he couldn't help but feel angry.

At that moment, a black figure suddenly appeared in the distance, moving very quickly and disappearing in the blink of an eye. Confident in his bravery, Zhong Xiu was not surprised but rather delighted, thinking it was time to earn his merit. He turned to his men and ordered them to stay put, then charged forward like a wild beast, his speed surpassing that of the figure ahead!

After chasing for about half an hour, Zhong Xiu began to feel wary. The figure ahead kept stopping and starting, always staying within his sight but never letting him get close, clearly leading him somewhere.

Zhong Xiu was merely short-tempered, not stupid. Seeing this strange behavior, he slowed down.

"Rustle!"

Suddenly, footsteps were heard from the side. Zhong Xiu's eyes turned fierce, and he shouted, "Which rat is hiding? Come out!"

Wu Fan also saw movement and rushed over, only to encounter Zhong Xiu.

"It's me! Wu Fan!" Realizing he had to come out, Wu Fan stepped forward, raising his hands in front of his chest, looking bewildered and looking around, saying, "What? Commander, did you also see someone and chase after them?"

"Hmph!"

Zhong Xiu snorted but said nothing.

Wu Fan slowly lowered his hands, his eyes darting around, thinking about something.

Zhong Xiu looked at the moon and the surroundings, then suddenly smiled, saying, "I suddenly think this place has a nice view!" His tone changed, "It's perfect for your grave, don't you think, Commander Wu? With mountains and water, how nice! Hehehe..."

Wu Fan's heart sank. He thought, [Bad! The roles of hunter and prey are not fixed and can change! I was too hasty! How did this bastard think so quickly?]

"Swallow!"

He swallowed hard, Wu Fan said somewhat nervously, "Commander, don't joke like that! I... haven't offended you, have I?"

Zhong Xiu sneered, drawing his sword halfway, and said, "Do you know what the men in the hundred-man station call you in private? 'Superior Officer Killer'! As long as you're around, I can't feel at ease! Besides... a despicable man like you, who has a rebellious nature, the commander has long wanted to get rid of you. He just didn't want to dirty his hands, so... I, who doesn't mind dirtying my hands, will do it!"

Wu Fan took a deep breath. He hadn't expected things to reach this point. He slowly placed his hand on the scabbard of his fourteen-form sword and smiled, saying, "Commander! There's someone behind you!"

Zhong Xiu's eyes narrowed instantly. He couldn't tell from Wu Fan's false face whether he was telling the truth, so he watched Wu Fan's movements while trying to scan the surroundings with his peripheral vision.

"Roar!"

Ultimately, he was short-tempered. Zhong Xiu decided to strike first, turning around and delivering a fierce slash!

"Click!"

"Swish!"

Seizing the opportunity, Wu Fan quickly drew a three-foot steel sword from the fourteen-form scabbard and swung it at Zhong Xiu!

In this situation, running was not an option, and he couldn't outrun Zhong Xiu. Wu Fan decided to fight to the death, at least until Yu Xiang noticed something was wrong and came to help.

"Clang!"

The blades clashed, and the sound of metal rang out!

"Thud!"

A flash of light, and a steel sword was embedded in a tree trunk three zhang away, penetrating deeply and vibrating!

Wu Fan's arms hung in front of him, his already pale face turning even paler. He winced in pain, looking at his split tiger's mouth and the flowing blood.

He hadn't expected it. Wu Fan really hadn't expected Zhong Xiu's reaction to be so quick. Realizing there was no one behind him, Zhong Xiu turned around and, using his ability to judge by sound, fiercely clashed with Wu Fan, the force of which sent Wu Fan's sword flying, terrifying in its power!

[Is this the level of 'Gathering Qi into the Sea'?]

Wu Fan looked at Zhong Xiu's face, which was openly boiling with murderous intent, and felt a deep sense of despair.

Step by step, Zhong Xiu approached Wu Fan, his teeth clenched, like a wolf warning its kind not to compete for food: "False gentleman, your end has come! I will finish you off cleanly and quickly to save time! It will be a mercy to you!"

Wu Fan forced a smile, shook his head, and said, "Commander, there's someone behind you!"

...

PS1: Request for favorites and recommendations.

PS2: Thank you to Zang Jian Weng for the 588-point donation, to Bu Qiang Da Wen Zi for the 100-point donation, and to Huo Re Ren Sheng for the review. Thank you all.

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